Matsing: Has The Fat Lady Sung For This Tribe

By EvelDanKirby, October 22, 2012

Can Matsing Tribe turn things around and win challenges?

Matsing is an appropriate name as it appears that the fat lady has sung for this tribe.

Malcolm and Denise, both with an interesting story as well as a unique and unexpected alliance formed early on, would have probably done better to start out on a more balanced tribe. Why is it that this tribe cannot win a challenge? Is it because their leader cannot decide whether or not he wants to be leader? Is it because they pray, asking God to win the challenges for them, when He likely has better things to do these days (especially with an election coming up)? Is it because they do not dig deep enough or want it bad enough? Perhaps it is because they do not have the thing that is most needed by any Survivor contestant… “Cookies”. If they had chosen Angie over Russell after that comment, I would have lost all respect for them. Yes, somehow, I do still have some respect for them.

I think the reasons they can’t win a challenge are a combination of all the above. Episode one, Russell said that whoever tries to be a leader will be the first one gone. Then he, himself, was almost eliminated for stepping up and being too demanding as a leader. He told us in the first episode that he knows better than this, and then demonstrated just the opposite. I also think that Matsing Tribe’s minds are not on winning the challenges. Instead, there was all of this discussion about Malcolm and Angie as a couple and the fact that couples are deadly in Survivor. That is talk about strategy, and when you’re not winning; your focus should instead be on how to win challenges. Even more important, the focus should be on what it is going to take to end the losing streak.

After all these years of watching Survivor, it is my educated guess that Matsing Tribe will soon be dispersed amongst the other tribes. This could prove to be good for them. They will likely be the swing vote of whatever is going on in the other tribes at that time. It also bodes well for some of my other favorites who are currently in trouble, i.e. Lisa and Penner. But will they be able to acclimate? It also is possible in this scenario that they would be the next to be voted off. And my question to all is this, which amongst them would be missed? I think some could acclimate depending on what tribe they get into next and who goes along with them.

Strength in numbers only backfires in Survivor when tribes merge and your numbers are less than theirs. In other words, a Malcolm (for example) is easier to feel out and consider allowing him to become a true member of your tribe than a Malcolm and a Denise combined. Even if you substitute Russell for one of them, who have no duo deal with the other, the rest of their new tribe would not necessarily see it that way. Therefore, perhaps the fairest thing to do would be to let them get down to two tribe members, then throw one on each of the other tribes. I actually like all three of them personally and would miss any of them. They are far more interesting to watch than the whiny girls on the yellow tribe.

And who is even on the other tribe? You’ve got a baseball star and my love, Penner. Can anyone even name another person on that tribe because at this moment I cannot. Of course some of this is television editing. I’m just hoping that it’s the only reason.

I had an idea that if they were going to have a famous actress, a successful baseball star, and three previously injured Survivor contestants all come on the same season, perhaps putting them all on the same tribe would have made the most sense. It’s a tricky one, however, because none of them wants to be known for what they are known for. This idea is relevant because I also wonder if the issue with Matsing is the very make-up of that tribe. Essentially, did Survivor put together a tribe full of losers?

What are your thoughts on this? Why do they keep losing? What do you think will happen to them as individuals and as a tribe? Can they turn this around? And do any of them make you want them to?